20 H?agen-Dazs Ice Cream Flavors, Ranked Worst to Best

Stephanie Osmanski

May 21, 2024 at 10:44 PM·9 min read

Different Haagen-Dazs flavors

No matter which ice cream flavor is your favorite, a scoop, cone or sundae is always a good idea. Still, we all have our preferences, not only when it comes to individual flavors or toppings, but also in terms of ice cream brands.

Here at Parade, we've already given our opinions on all the Halo Top flavors and Van Leeuwen ice cream flavors, too. Now, we're turning our attention (and our taste buds) to H?agen-Dazs ice cream—one of the most well-known, beloved ice cream companies there is.

Around since 1960 and founded in Brooklyn by Polish immigrants, the playfully named ice cream company started off with just three pints—vanilla, chocolate and coffee—and quickly set itself a part with its luxuriously creamy taste and simple ingredients.

While the grocery-store staple now has more than 50 flavors in its current arsenal, in addition to sorbets and ice cream bars, we helped ourselves to a heaping sampling and scoured online reviewers' notes to narrow down a top-20 list.

Keep reading for 20 H?agen-Dazs flavors, ranked worst to best.

Wait, What Does H?agen-Dazs Mean?

Before we jump into the rankings, we feel compelled to share a fun fact: The name H?agen-Dazs doesn't mean anything. The company was founded in 1959 on the Bronx by Polish Jewish immigrant Reuben Mattus and his wife, Rose. Reuben made up the name (it means nothing in Danish—or any other language). In an interview with Tablet magazine, Reuben said he came up with the name to attract attention. Sixty-five years later, H?agen-Dazs is one of the most recognizable ice cream brands in America, so we'd say that Reuben's instincts were solid.

20 H?agen-Dazs flavors, Ranked

20. Mint Chip

Some mint chip flavors are done well. Truth be told, this one is fine enough, but it feels like a "filler" flavor in that a mint flavor felt necessary rather than given the time and attention it deserves. Some fans call it "the mintyest ice cream" they've ever had, and others say "there's too much chocolate to chew and it gets in the way of enjoying the ice cream."

19. Pistachio

The pistachio flavor at H?agen-Dazs is pretty decent. The only reason we didn't rank it better is because it's just not what the company is known for. If we're picking up a pint of H?agen-Dazs, this is hardly our first, second, or third choice. In fact, it's our 19th choice. Fans overall remark that they're surprised it has more of a vanilla taste and only small nut bits.

18. Vanilla Chocolate Chip

We don't have all the flavors of all the ice cream brands 100% committed to memory, but we've tasted enough to know that vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips throughout isn't available everywhere. It's a welcome compromise between vanilla and chocolate for those who can't make up their minds. Fans, however, say they "love" it and "buy multiples at a time."

17. Butter Pecan

If big ol' chunks of pecan are your love language, then, by all means, dive headfirst into this velvety dessert. If they're not, skip to #15. Fans love it for its smooth and creamy texture that feels "fancy."

16. Bourbon Praline Pecan

One spoonful and we're immediately transported to New Orleans, where the praline game is as strong as can be. Does it make our top 10? No... but it's only a stone's throw away. Fans were somewhat mixed on this boozy mainstay, and also found it hard to track down.

15. Rum Tres Leches Ice Cream

The line between which flavor is better—rum tres leches versus traditional rum raisin—is a fine one, but at the end of the day, the classic rum raisin won out thanks to its just-right ratio of sweetness and spice. Still, for anyone obsessed with the Latin American dessert dulce de tres leches, one scoop makes for a dose of nostalgia. Of those who are a fan of the flavor, they say it's their favorite ice cream ever.

14. Rum Raisin

As previously mentioned, the balance of sweetness and spice is exceptional in this flavor and where some rum raisins falter with teensy raisin particles, the H?agen-Dazs version delivers a plethora of healthy chunks. Be warned, however: If you have no interest in raisins, avoid this flavor entirely. Fans of this old-school favorite say its best served with pie, cake or cookies.

13. Coffee Chocolate Brownie

Perhaps what is most lovable (and undeniably reliable) about H?agen-Dazs ice cream is that they know their lane. The German-sounding company (which was actually founded by a Polish-American in New York in 1960) started out with three pretty basic flavors and we appreciate that they've stuck to them ever since, only deviating slightly to combine flavors like this one—coffee and chocolate. They threw in the brownies for good measure and with an impressive amount of chunk throughout, we're so happy they did. This recipe scored an average 4.6-star rating, one of the brand's highest.

12. Vanilla

Vanilla is of the earliest flavors that catapulted H?agen-Dazs to success. This ice cream brand—which is also known for its great range of ice cream bars, not included on this list—pretty much has the vanilla flavor down to a science. Their craftsmanship definitely shows through the creamy texture and the light sweetness that's perfectly measured. Fans overwhelmingly gave glowing remarks, calling this flavor "amazing," "not synthetic" and said "you can taste the vanilla bean."

11. Chocolate Peanut Butter

So long as you enjoy the nuttiness of PB, you can't go wrong with this fabulous ice cream flavor combo. It's made even better with chocolate sprinkles on top for an extra crunch. While fans say they love this chocolate peanut butter version over other brands on the market, many comment that in recent batches, there's been a noticeable lack of peanut butter, so be forewarned.

10. Bourbon Vanilla Bean Truffle

Yet another variation of vanilla, this flavor gets major bonus points for thinking outside the box. Bourbon? Vanilla bean? Truffle? Four words that work all by themselves, but they're a force to be reckoned with when they're together. Fans note how Bourbon-forward this ice cream is, and of those who love it, they would give it a "6" out of 5 stars!

9. Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel

It's a tried-and-true flavor combination that works again and again: a chocolate ice cream base, peanut butter swirls, and a satisfying crunch in the form of a salty pretzel. Hook, line and sinker. A nice substitute for Chubby Hubby, fans call it "amazing."

8. Cookies and Cream

We personally found the H?agen-Dazs take on cookies and cream just ok, but we had to take into consideration just how powerful the cookies and cream fandom is. Lovers of this flavor are relentless, but generally speaking, if you love cookies and cream, you love it regardless of the maker. Still, we'd rate this a B++ overall—our main criticism being it could use a bit more crunchiness. This flavor has its die-hard fans on icecream.com claiming, "You can't go wrong" with this cookie-packed pint."

7. Coffee Chip

See #3 for our overall thoughts on H?agen-Dazs' coffee flavor, but in the meantime, know that anytime we crave a cappuccino flavor—but with an extra crunch—this is this flavor fits the bill. Like with most things coffee, fans say it's addicting: "So freakin' good! Nothing else like it."

6. Vanilla Bean

The traditional vanilla might be a H?agen-Dazs OG, but add "bean" to the end of it and we're immediately sold. It's creamier, thicker and tastier, so it's a no-brainer. Fans call it "exceptional," and made for ice cream sundaes.

5. Chocolate

The second of three originals that put H?agen-Dazs on the map, their standard chocolate flavor is pretty much unparalleled. Unlike some other chocolate ice creams that use added sugar to sweeten the taste, this one feels particularly heavy on the cocoa—similar to Belgian choc—which gives it a decadent, silky-smooth texture. With 160 glowing 5-star ratings out of 175, fans call this a lifetime family favorite.

4. Caramel Cone

It was difficult to decide what to do with this one. Our taste testers loved the caramel cone, but as mentioned previously, H?agen-Dazs tends to repeat its signature flavors over and over again, only making slight tweaks and subtle variations with complementary flavors. So, what to do with caramel cone when its counterpart, dulce de leche, took the #1 spot? Ultimately, we caved and ranked it #4 because as similar as it is, it's still a gem in its own right. And a very delicious gem at that, although we would prefer it to have more of a crunch. Fans hope the brand "never stops making it."

3. Coffee

Coffee ice cream is another one of H?agen-Dazs' flagship flavors, and it's easy to see why after just one bite. It's a flavor they've been doing forever, and as the years go on, they continue to do it well. Pro tip: Pair it with a scoop of vanilla bean, but only if you care to experience heaven-on-earth in the form of a sundae. Fans call it "memorable."

2. Double Belgian Chocolate Chip

Speaking of Belgian chocolate, the Double Belgian Chocolate Chip takes the cake with its over-the-top chocolatiness. Sometimes, it's OK to go overboard, especially when it comes to chocolate. A 73-year old fan with "65 years of memories eating ice cream" calls this the best flavor she's ever tasted.

1. Dulce de Leche

It's hard to beat H?agen-Dazs' Dulce de Leche. Not only is it their best flavor yet, but it's probably the best take on Dulce de Leche that you'll find in the freezer section. The balance of richness to sweetness is absolutely on point, and its caramel flavor is rich, but light enough to keep you going back for another spoonful. Fans call it a "luxury" and eat "almost a scoop a day."

Up next: We Had Coffee Experts Rank 13 Instant Coffee Brands and You Can Buy the Winner at Target

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